What is Precision Medicine?

Precision medicine is treatment based on your tumor’s biology. Molecular profiling reveals your tumor’s biology, such as genes and proteins within the tumor. This information can help your doctor identify precision treatments for you.

What is Molecular Profiling?

Molecular profiling tells you about the biology of your tumor. It is also sometimes called tumor testing, genomic testing or biomarker testing. A tissue sample is collected through a biopsy and analyzed. It can show changes in the tumor’s genes or proteins. Your doctor may be able to use this information to make treatment decisions.

Why is Precision Medicine Important?

All pancreatic cancer tumors are different, and treatment that works well for one person may not work as well for someone else.

Many factors influence a person’s response to treatment, including age, stage of diagnosis and the tumor’s biology.

Studies show that treatments based on your tumor’s biology can increase their success.

Knowing the alterations in your tumor can help you and your healthcare team select treatment options, including clinical trials, that are likely to work best for you. These treatments may not have been considered otherwise.

Precision medicine also benefits future patients. Researchers are studying precision medicine to discover new information about tumors and treatments that can help even more patients.

“Targeting the treatment to the tumor mutation has made a huge difference in the quality of my life and in my scan results.”

— Linda, survivor

Who Should Consider Molecular Profiling?

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network strongly recommends that all pancreatic cancer patients have their tumors molecularly profiled to help determine the best treatment options.

How Do I Know if I’ve had Molecular Profiling?

Your doctor may have done several tests on your tumor, so it is important to know if one of those tests was molecular profiling.

Ask your doctor if molecular profiling has been performed on your tumor and if they have used the results to make a treatment decision.

Patient Central can help explain different types of pancreatic cancer testing.

If you’ve already had molecular profiling, Patient Central can help you understand your results and give you information on treatment options, including clinical trials.

When Should I Get Molecular Profiling?

Pancreatic cancer patients should have their tumors molecularly profiled as early as possible, however testing can happen at any time.

Because tissue is needed to perform testing, a doctor must determine the best way to collect a sample. If you are having your tumor surgically removed, tissue from the surgery may be used. In most other cases, a specific type of biopsy, called a core biopsy, is needed.

If you are currently on treatment, you can undergo molecular profiling at the same time so that you have the information if you need to make a future treatment decision.